


somebody to love (do you need anybody)

by tony_starkrogers



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Fluff, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Light Angst, M/M, Misunderstandings, Steve is Tony’s PA, Steve is an Austen fan don’t @ me on this, boys being stupid, boys talking Jane Austen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-23
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-21 12:42:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17043953
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tony_starkrogers/pseuds/tony_starkrogers
Summary: Steve Rogers is Tony Stark’s PA... but will they ever be something more?





	somebody to love (do you need anybody)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [salable_mystic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/salable_mystic/gifts).



> For salable_mystic, who prompted: Both Tony and Steve would be happy going public with their relationship, but think the other one wants to keep it a secret, because...
> 
> I hope this is something like what you were hoping for! I went with the pre-relationship au-land route with this one. 
> 
> A big thank you to @itsallavengers for getting this into shape! All remaining errors are my own.

“No,” Tony said firmly. “I don’t need another PA, I have you!”  
  
“Tony,” Pepper said with infinite patience, “I’m your CEO now, I can’t be your PA as well. You really do need another PA.”  
  
“I really don’t,” Tony disagreed, sighing and putting his head in his hands. “And besides, just look at how long it took me to get used to you, I don’t need another newbie under foot, especially not right now.”  
  
“Steve comes very highly recommended,” Pepper insisted, “he won’t be under foot.” She smiled, putting a folder on Tony’s desk. “You’ll like this one, Tony,” she said, “he’s an artist, and he’s military.”  
  
Tony flipped the folder open, skimming the bio and resume. New York born and raised, that was interesting... and he’d done a lot of volunteering and internships, swinging between art and military work, or helping at-risk youth. The guy clearly believed in helping others, and that quality was rare to find these days. Tony paused over the photo, smoothing a thumb over the picture. Clear blue eyes stared back at him, bright with determination in spite of (or perhaps because of?) the man’s slight frame. The man’s lips were set firmly, but there was something about the barely-there dimple in his cheek, the bright glint in his eyes... Tony wanted to get under that hard exterior, to see what made him tick.  
  
“Yeah, okay,” he said, “send him in.”

  
  
******

  
  
“Pepper, I’m screwed,” Tony said after Steve had left.  
  
“You usually are,” she agreed “but why in particular this time?”  
  
“He’s perfect,” Tony said. “He’s smart and sassy and... he’s just adorable Pep, how did you find him?”  
  
“I do have some skills,” Pepper said, raising a perfectly manicured eyebrow. “So he’s in?”  
  
Tony groaned, ruffling his hair in frustration. “He’s more than... Pep, he called my work ‘creative’. Do you realize that’s the kindest term for what I do I’ve ever heard?”  
  
“Well I’m glad he made an impression,” Pepper said. “He’ll start tomorrow, okay? Try not to go too hard on him, Tony. I think you two could really be good for each other if you took the time to get your heads out of your asses...”  
  
“...and into each other’s, am I right?”

Pepper looked completely unimpressed, and Tony deflated. “Come on, it’s too good,” he said.  
  
“Tony,” Pepper warned.  
  
“Okay, okay,” Tony sighed, raising his hands in defeat.  “I’ll behave.”  
  
“Thank you,” Pepper said, looking faintly relieved. “Please try to like him, okay?”  
  
“I will,” Tony assured her, as he realized with a sinking feeling that liking Steve wouldn’t be a problem... his problem would be precisely the opposite.

  
  
******

  
  
“Mr. Stark,” Steve said as he buzzed in to Tony’s workshop the next day.  
  
“Steve!” Tony replied, glancing up from his soldering iron as Steve stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide as he looked around him. “I didn’t scare you off, then?”  
  
“It takes a great deal more than that to scare me,” Steve claimed, his eyes flashing and his shoulders back, as if he were ready to fight right then and there.  
  
Tony raised his eyebrows, his hands held up in mock surrender. “I’ll take your word for it,” he said. “What’ve you got for me?”  
  
“I need your signatures here, here, and here,” Steve informed him, “and Pepper tells me that you have a board meeting at five tonight. She has said, and I quote, that ‘I need to use whatever means are in my power to get you there’.”  
  
“Now that I’d like to see,” Tony said as he took the papers.  
  
He looked up at Steve while he signed, making sure to look extra sultry and bat his lashes. Steve glanced away, a flush working its way over his cheeks. Tony grinned in response, pushing his glasses up his nose as Steve looked back at him, blushing furiously.  
  
“Anything else?” Tony asked, raising his eyebrows suggestively.  
  
“Uhh...” Steve cleared his throat and thrust the package he was holding at Tony.  
  
Tony lifted the lid and his eyebrows climbed even higher as he took in the full spread of Chinese takeout laid out before him.  
  
“You’re... feeding me?” Tony said softly, feeling something warm and hopeful spreading in his chest. “You’ve been talking to JARVIS, haven’t you?”  
  
“He might have mentioned it,” Steve allowed, his lips twitching. “Besides, you can’t live on science alone.”  
  
Tony gasped, his hand against his chest. “You dare speak against science in this sacred place?” he said in mock outrage. “You shall pay for this offense!”  
  
“Uh.... sorry?” Steve said, blinking at him.  
  
Tony snorted and grabbed Steve’s hand (his hand!) and tugged him towards the lumpy couch he kept in the workshop, mostly for when he passed out there after too many long days at work, trying to keep the nightmares at bay. “I’m kidding, we’re watching Star Trek: The Original Series And you’re helping me eat all this food.”  
  
Steve laughed as he fell onto the couch beside Tony, his smile bright and his hair falling into his face. Tony smiled back at him, fighting the urge to run his fingers through Steve’s hair and curl into him. But he needn’t have bothered - Steve kicked his feet up on the couch and leaned against Tony as he snagged a box of takeout.  
  
“Potsticker?” Steve asked, holding out the box to him.  
  
Tony blinked at him and grabbed a pair of chopsticks. “Sure, why not?” He said. “Now prepare to have your mind blown — beam us up, JARVIS!”  
  
Steve settled more firmly against Tony’s side as the show began, the USS Enterprise voyaging among the stars, a bright spark against the vastness of space.  
  
Pepper found them like that when she came to find Tony the next day, curled together fast asleep as Kirk and Spock took on a vast alien planet in their bright uniforms. Pepper smiled and drew a blanket over them. She could yell at Tony for missing the board meeting later... for now, she would let them sleep.

  
  
******

  
  
Honestly, Tony expected that it would be awkward. He was sure that Steve would bolt when he discovered that they’d spent the night together (although not in the fun sense). He thought that it would be the typical morning after walk of shame, only worse this time, because he actually liked Steve, he really did. And this time Steve would be leaving him, not the other way around. Because Steve couldn’t really want him in any sense, not with all the baggage that came with being the world’s most famous genius billionaire playboy philanthropist. Being Tony Stark’s PA was one thing. Being anything else was... complicated, to say the least.  
  
But Steve kept confounding all of Tony’s expectations. He didn’t do the walk of shame — far from it. He simply gave Tony a small, tentative smile and said, “I had a good time, Tony.”  
  
And then he sat there on Tony’s lumpy old couch, making no moves to leave. He took Tony’s calls and gave him papers as he finished looking them over and relayed messages as they came in.  
  
And when Steve wasn’t working, when he could have made his exit, instead he just... stayed. He pulled a beat-up paperback out of his pocket and curled up with it, the turning of pages becoming the only sound in the workshop. And Tony thought that he would miss the noise, the distraction of his music, but he didn’t. Being here with Steve was enough. Tony knew it couldn’t last, but it was nice, it really was.

“Jane Austen?” Tony asked, his lips twitching, after he gave in and stopped telling himself that he didn’t care what Steve read.  
  
“Nothing’s wrong with a good old-fashioned happy ending,” Steve said, smiling at him. “Besides, her characters always did what was true to themselves, no matter what time period they were stuck in. I think that’s heroism in its own right, really.”  
  
Steve went back to his book and Tony stared at him, but the punch line never came, because apparently that was just who Steve was.  
  
Tony shook his head and went back to his work, and before he knew it, the setting sun was bathing the workshop in gold and Steve was standing in front of him with the distinct air of someone who had something on his mind.  
  
“Yes?” Tony asked, raising his eyebrows.  
  
“It’s time for dinner,” Steve blurted, his cheeks flushing bright red as he shuffled his feet and looked anywhere but Tony, “and, well...”  
  
“Mr. Rogers,” Tony said, blinking up at Steve. Could he really be hearing what he thought he was hearing? “Are you asking me on a date?”  
  
“Um, well...” Steve blushed even deeper. “Yes. And I know we haven’t known each other that long, and I’m sorry if this is completely off base, I mean, you’re you and I’m just...”  
  
“Don’t even finish that sentence, Steve,” Tony said. “You’re not ‘just’ anything. And yes, I’ll go to dinner with you. If you’re sure you really want to.”  
  
“I’m sure,” Steve said uncertainly, like he couldn’t quite believe this was happening.  
  
That made two of them, Tony thought, grinning back at Steve.  
  
“Okay,” Steve said, “I’ll meet you downstairs in ten?”  
  
“Sounds good to me,” Tony replied.  
  
Steve smiled at him, giddy and bright and beautiful, and Tony watched him go with his heart beating loud in his chest.  
  
Maybe Steve would wake up one day and realize that he didn’t want all the trouble involved in being Tony Stark’s significant other. Maybe he would take his first steps in public at Tony’s side and decide that it was too much, that he wasn’t worth it. Maybe this would be Tony’s only chance to be out with a Steve who looked at him like he had all day, like Tony hung the moon and the stars and was all he ever wanted... and if it was, Tony was going to enjoy every minute of it.

 

******

  
  
Steve took him to a little hole-in-the wall Italian place where the hostess greeted him brightly by his first name before her gaze fell on Tony and she gaped at him open mouthed.  
  
Tony heaved a mental sigh and prepared to turn on the full force of Tony Stark flattery, but he stopped in his tracks as Steve put a gentle hand on the small of his back and stepped forward, subtly shielding Tony with his body. He spoke to the hostess earnestly, his voice soft and his smile bright, and in no time at all, the girl was completely charmed, laughing as she led them back to a private booth.  
  
“Thank you, Rebecca,” Steve said as they slid into the booth. “What?” Steve asked defensively as Tony stared at him. “I come here a lot.”  
  
“Sure you do,” Tony said fondly, shaking his head. “I mean, not that I’m complaining...”  
  
Steve ducked his head and Tony grinned at him while he daringly stretched out under the table to run his foot up Steve’s leg. Steve startled and flushed, but he twined their legs together and gave Tony a soft, hopeful smile.  
  
The conversation came easily as they worked on their dinners- delicious plates of mouthwatering homemade pasta that made Tony’s stomach rumble hungrily.  
  
“God, this is good,” Tony said as he dug into his baked ziti, twirling the pasta around his fork with relish.  
  
“It’s just pasta and sauce, Tony,” Steve replied, giving Tony an amused smile as his eyes danced with laughter.  
  
“It’s not ‘just’ anything,” Tony disagreed, reaching over to spear a piece of tortellini from Steve’s plate. “This is an art, it’s a masterpiece, it is—“  
  
“—not yours, mister,” Steve said, flicking Tony’s wrist lightly as Tony took some more pasta from his plate.  He looked up, and his face was relaxed, his eyes bright. “And you should really get out more if you get this excited about a plate of pasta.”  
  
Tony smirked at him. “Baby, I can get excited about a lot less,” he said, as he licked the cream sauce from his fork with a highly exaggerated moan of appreciation.  
  
Steve stared at him for a moment, his fork frozen halfway to his mouth. Tony could see him struggling to keep a straight face before his lips twitched and he burst out laughing, rocking back in his seat. “I really asked for that, didn’t I,” Steve said breathlessly as he shook his head, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.  
  
God, he was beautiful, Tony thought, his stomach twisting uncomfortably as he watched. How could someone like Steve ever want to be with _him?_ Tony looked down at his plate and swallowed past the lump in his throat, casting around for something to say.  
  
“So, Jane Austen?” he said brightly, determined to keep the mood light.  
  
Steve’s cheeks went pink and he looked down, twirling his pasta absentmindedly. “Yeah,” he admitted, shooting Tony a bashful look. “I was sick a lot when I was a kid, so I would spend my free time reading everything I could get my hands on. With books, I could go anywhere, and I could do anything, even if I was confined to a hospital bed. Jane Austen... well, her characters weren’t afraid to get into fights or take the tough stand, and they still got their happy ending.” Steve smiled at Tony, and Tony’s stomach turned over. “Let’s just say I could sympathize.”  
  
Tony smiled back at him. “So who was your favorite?” he asked. “Come on, everyone has one.”  
  
Steve ducked his head, mumbling something Tony couldn’t catch as he hunched over his plate.  
  
“Sorry, I didn’t quite get that,” Tony said, hiding a smile behind his glass as warmth curled in his stomach.  
  
Steve looked up as his cheeks flushed, his eyes flashing bright and defiant. “I have to say I was a Darcy man,” Steve admitted, his back straight, his fingers tightening around his fork as though he expected to get in a fight at the table. Right now. Over Jane Austen.  
  
Really, he probably would, Tony thought fondly, his lips quirking as he leaned back in his seat, giving Steve a considering look. “Really,” Tony said, his smile stretching wide.  
  
“Shut up Stark,” Steve said, tossing his napkin at Tony’s head half heartedly.  
  
Tony ducked easily, trying not to laugh at Steve’s affronted expression. “You’re a bit of a romantic, aren’t you, Rogers,” Tony said, smiling at him.  
  
Steve settled back against the booth. His cheeks were still pink, but he was smiling, the tension sliding from his shoulders. “You’re just getting that now?” he asked, raising his eyebrows as he ran his foot up Tony’s ankle under the table. Tony jumped and his knees hit the table. The silverware clattered and Steve burst out laughing as Tony shot him a look.  
  
“Shut up, Rogers,” he mimickedsaid as they went back to their pasta. “So what is it?” he asked after they spent a few minutes in companionable silence. “Darcy’s a bit of a jerk, you know. Why is he your favorite?”  
  
Steve gave him a warm look, his eyes full of affection. “The thing is, he only likes people to _think_ he’s a bit of a jerk,” he said. “He acts like he’s cold and pompous and doesn’t care about anyone else when he’s really just a big softie inside.”  
  
Tony felt himself flush as Steve gave him a significant look, and he cleared his throat self-consciously. He looked down at his plate and busied himself with taking a bite of pasta, because he was pretty sure that anything he could have said right then would only have embarrassed him.  
  
“So what, you have a bit of a type?” He asked, quirking an eyebrow. “Your romantic sensibilities could use a bit of work, Steven.”  
  
“I think my romantic sensibilities are working out for me just fine,” Steve disagreed, smiling at him.  
  
Tony froze, staring at Steve his words caught up with him. There was a beat, then two, but Steve remained perfectly serious as they stared at each other.  
  
Tony swallowed, his heart pounding as he fought the urge to either throw himself at Steve or bolt from the booth or to do something even more stupid. Here they were on their first date, and Tony had been worrying all night that Steve wouldn’t really want to be with him once he realized what that meant, but Steve’s words implied that...  
  
“Steve,” Tony said very carefully, “are you saying that I’m your Mr. Darcy in this scenario? Because you know, that’s not necessarily a good thing, and there were many reasons why Elizabeth should never have married him and —“  
  
“— and none of those reasons matter when you really care about someone,” Steve said earnestly, interrupting Tony’s rant. He leaned forward, his hands covering Tony’s before he knocked something over.

Tony stilled, looking down at their hands wrapped around each other with wide eyes. Steve’s hands were big and warm and fit perfectly around Tony’s. One of Steve’s thumbs gently stroked against the back of Tony’s hand and Tony shivered at the touch. He could imagine just how good it would feel to thread his fingers through Steve’s, and he wanted it, he really did, and that was what scared him.  
  
“And I’m sorry if this is too soon, if I’m coming in too strong,” Steve said, his eyes on Tony’s, “but I think you should know. If this is something you want, if you’re in... then I’m in.”  
  
Tony stared at him, eyes bulging. “If I want...” he shook his head. “You’re kidding, right? Of course I want this. Steve, you’re amazing, you’re wonderful, you’re... honestly so much better than I deserve.” Steve was already shaking his head, but Tony barreled on. “But being with me.. it’s not just a walk in the park. I get a lot of attention, Steve, and not all of it is good.”  
  
“I know that, Tony, I’m your PA,” Steve began, but Tony shook his head.  
  
“It’s not just...” Tony stopped, looking at Steve helplessly. Steve was everything he had ever wanted, and how could Steve possibly want this? He had to make him understand.  
  
“You’re going to get your picture taken,” Tony said finally, his voice flat. “No one’s going to give a shit about your personal space. You’re going to be followed, people are going to ask you the most inappropriate questions you can possibly imagine, and you’ll find people speculating about your sex life on the gossip pages.” Tony realized that his hand was shaking, and he took a deep breath to steady himself. “If we do this, Steve, you have to be sure. Because otherwise...”  
  
Steve was staring at him when he finished, and Tony felt his heart sink. He’s done it, he thought, he’d made Steve understand. So why didn’t he feel any better?  
  
“Tony...” Steve started. He shook his head and drew a hand over his face. “I’m going to come over there, okay?”  
  
Tony nodded and Steve slid into the booth next to him, a line of warmth against his side.  
  
“I’m so sorry this is what you have to deal with,” Steve said quietly as he looked down at his hands. “It takes a lot to deal with that all the time, and I get that it would be so much harder when it’s someone you... care about.”  
  
He took a deep breath and looked over at Tony, and his eyes were bright and clear, no hint of hesitation in his face. “But the thing is... I’m not in this for anyone else. Let other people have their opinions - I don’t really care. And I’ve never been that interested in what the gossip columns have to say anyway.”  
  
Steve put a hand on Tony’s thigh then, and Tony’s brain short-circuited. “I want you, Tony,” he said, “and I don’t care what anyone else thinks about it. So as long as you don’t have a crazy aunt somewhere who’s going to bang on my door in the middle of the night and forbid me from marrying you...”  
  
Tony chuckled in spite of himself as hope bloomed in his chest. “Nah,” he said, “I have some pretty weird relatives, but none of them are on the De Buerg(sp?) level.”  
  
“So we’re good?” Steve asked, his voice uncertain.  
  
“We’re more than good,” Tony said, his eyes on Steve’s lips.  
  
“Well that’s a relief,” Steve said. “You know I was half convinced you were letting me down easy?”  
  
Tony shook his head fondly. “You’re an idiot, Steve Rogers,” he said. “But it turns out you’re my idiot, if you’ll have me.”  
  
He turned towards Steve, hesitating with his fingers curled around Steve’s lapel. Steve was so close he could see the flecks of green in the blue of his eyes and the gold in his eyelashes. He was smiling at Tony with warmth in his eyes and Tony had never wanted anything more in his life.  
  
“Can I kiss you?” Tony blurted, feeling his face heat as Steve looked at him.  
  
“You’re an idiot, Tony Stark,” Steve said, smiling wide, “but you’re my idiot.”  
  
And then Steve’s hand slid around his waist and his lips were on Tony’s, warm and soft and full. Tony arched into the kiss as he slid his palm up Steve’s chest to tangle his fingers in the fine hairs at Steve’s nape. Steve moaned into his mouth and pressed closer, his lips parting easily under Tony’s.

The kiss stretched on until he felt himself getting light-headed from lack of air, because who cared about silly things like breathing when you were being kissed by Steve Rogers. When they finally pulled away, they didn’t go far, their noses brushing as they breathed each other in.  
  
“So,” Steve said softly, his hand stroking down Tony’s spine as he smiled down at him. “You want to do this again sometime?”  
  
Tony felt his heart thump unsteadily in his chest at the look in Steve’s eyes. Steve’s hair was falling into his forehead and his eyes were bright and he made Tony so happy it hurt. Tony smiled back at him and gently smoothed Steve’s hair back from his face.  
  
“Yeah,” Tony said, “I’d really like that.”

 

  
******

 

  
“I’m going out there with you, Tony.”  
  
Tony glanced at him as he adjusted his tie, smoothing the collar into place. “You really don’t have to do that, Steve,” he said, giving him a rueful smile as he shrugged into his jacket. “You could just sneak in the back, no one would...”  
  
Steve shook his head and reached out to Tony, buttoning his jacket with deft fingers. Tony froze under his touch, swallowing as Steve gave him a soft smile.  
  
“We’ve talked about this,” Steve said gently, his hands warm on Tony’s shoulders. “I don’t need to sneak around just because it might be easier. I’m proud to be with you, Tony Stark, and I don’t care who knows it.”  
  
Tony smiled at him, feeling his nerves quiet. It was always like this with Steve - Steve always grounded him, always centered him. Steve was quickly becoming his true north, and Tony couldn’t imagine being without him.  
  
“Okay then,” Tony said, leaning up to press a kiss to the corner of Steve’s lips, “let’s do this.”  
  
The doors swung open in front of them and they walked out together, shoulder to shoulder. The sudden onslaught of flashing cameras washed over them, and they pressed onwards. Some of the shouted questions reached them over the tumult, and Tony felt Steve stiffen at his side. He brushed his fingers against Steve’s, light enough for Steve to pull away if he wanted to. Instead, Steve gave him a grateful look as he tangled their fingers together, squeezing lightly.  
  
The questions followed them down the red carpet, shouted from every direction: “Mr. Stark, are you here with Steve Rogers?” “Are you with Steve Rogers?”  
  
Tony tried to tune them out, focusing on the warmth of Steve’s hand in his, but he still heard them. His grip on Steve’s hand grew tighter and tighter until Steve finally stopped and looked down at him, brushing his thumb over the back of Tony’s hand. Tony looked over at him and Steve smiled gently.  
  
“Tony,” Steve said, “it’s okay. Just focus on me, all right?”  
  
Tony blinked up at him. “Yeah, okay,” he said, taking a deep breath. “I’m okay, I’m just...” He stilled as Steve slid a hand up his shoulder to cradle his jaw, his fingers warm and firm. “Steve?” he asked, suddenly breathless as Steve drew closer.  
  
Steve smiled at him. “It would answer all their questions,” he explained, quirking an eyebrow at the reporters surrounding them. “But also, I just really want to kiss you right now. May I?”  
  
Tony rolled his eyes, a snort of laughter escaping him as he pulled Steve in with a hand on his tie. “God, yes.”  
  
They were both smiling as they came together, and when their lips met, and it was soft and lingering and sweet as they breathed each other in. It was a moment of quiet in the midst of chaos, and everyone could see the intimacy of it. A hush fell over the crowds before the clamor started once more with renewed vigor, but for Steve and Tony, there was only each other. They continued hand in hand, ready to face the red carpet, and the rest of their lives together.  


******

 

FIN

 

 


End file.
